WEST Wisdom Blog

Our WEST Wisdom Member Spotlight for February 2014 is with Jenny Maki.  Jenny was a WEST 2014 Giving Back Volunteer Awardee.

Where were you born?     Ironwood, MI Where did you attend school? - Undergrad: University of Minnesota Duluth, B.S. in Cell Biology, - Grad: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ph.D. in Molecular and   Cellular Biology Where do you work? Where have you worked prior? - Tufts University School of Medicine, Postdoctoral Associate, current - Children’s Hospital Boston, Research Lab Supervisor - Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Research Technician

• Where do you work? Where have you worked prior?

 - Tufts University School of Medicine, Postdoctoral Associate, current
 - Children’s Hospital Boston, Research Lab Supervisor
 - Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Research Technician

• What do you like to do in your spare time?

I have trained and completed two sprit triathlons. I knit baby blankets and hats and scarves as well as knit hat for premature babies. Additionally, I like to landscape and garden in the warmer months. I also volunteer for WEST as well as the Boston Marathon and other shorter running races.

• Where was your last vacation? What was your favorite vacation?

My last vacation was my hometown in Michigan. I grew up in the UP of Michigan where it is very rural and great for hiking and sightseeing. My favorite vacation was traveling to Germany and Poland to visit friends I made during graduate school.

• What’s your favorite movie?

 I really don’t have a favorite movie. I like all sorts of different movies from different generations.

• What’s your favorite book?

I really enjoy the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have probably read it at least six times and pick up on new detail every time I read it.

• When and why did you get involved with WEST?

I started regularly attending WEST events about a year ago and I really enjoyed the workshops and panel discussions. I decided to volunteer because I believe that we need to continue to support and promote women in STEM. Also, I liked the fact that I was able to volunteer on the marketing committee and gain some exposure to area completely different from my career work.

• What is your favorite part about WEST?

I really love meeting all sorts of different people at the different WEST events. I really like hearing about everyone’s work from high powered CEOs to those women in graduate school. WEST provides me the opportunity to meet such great women that I would likely not meet anywhere else.